Section XI - Shipment of Household Goods and Effects

11.1 Purpose

The employer (department) shall be responsible to arrange for moving an employee's household goods and effects based on the terms and conditions of the NJC Integrated Relocation Directive with any limitations prescribed in this document. The existing Household Goods Removal Service (HGRS) contract takes precedence in the selection of carriers and its contracted rates.

The employer will arrange for and pay the cost of packing, insuring, shipping, in-transit storage and unpacking of a reasonable quantity of personal and household effects from an employee's principal residence on relocation. Expenses incurred for loading, unloading, cartage or freight charges for effects from other than the principal residence shall not be paid, except as provided for in this Directive.

For reasons of economy and administrative efficiency, and in order to ensure a uniformly high standard of service from the moving industry, removal services shall be purchased by the Government Services Canada (GSC) regional offices and monitored centrally by the Central Removal Services (CRS) headquarters of GSC in Ottawa-Hull for all relocations within Canada.

The employer is responsible to make the shipping arrangements with the moving van lines as per the HGRS contract terms and conditions in liaison with the Third Party Service Provider who will complete the necessary HGRS forms and submit same to the departmental regional/national co-ordinator for necessary action via Central Removal Service.

In order to credit the employee's funding envelopes, the employee shall submit a copy of the original bill of lading to the Third Party Service Provider. Co-ordinators will fax the actual weight charged for by the Van lines, to the Contractor.

The employer will not be responsible financially or otherwise for the shipment of effects from any place other than the designated former place of residence at origin or place where the Crown had previously paid to store the personal effects of the employee.

11.2 Weight Entitlement

The employer shall arrange for and pay the cost of packing, insuring, shipping, in transit storage and unpacking of a reasonable quantity of personal and household effects as follows:

Core Fund

A maximum of 20,000 lb/9,071.94kg.

Customized/Personalized Funds

Weight in excess of 20,000 lb/9,071.94kg.

Surcharges resulting from articles that the moving firm will accept on a weight dimensional or a cubic basis, or with surcharges.

Established rates and conditions are subject to the HGRS contract.

11.3 Funding Overview

The benefits outlined in this section are funded from both the Core Fund and the Customized/Personalized Funds as follows:

Benefit

Core Fund

Customized/Personalized Funds

Shipment of Household Goods and Effects

20,000 lb/9,071.94kg maximum

Weight in excess of 20,000 lb/ 9,071.94kg

Sundry Relocation Expenses

Actual expenses as per Directive

Storage in Transit

Up to number of I.A. days

Over Core days

Long-term Storage (only when authorized)

Up to 20,000 lb/9,071.94kg

Over 20,000 lb/9,071.94kg

Basic Insurance

Up to $100,000

Over $100,000

Additional Insurance

Actual expenses

First PMV

Actual expenses

All other PMVs

Actual expenses

RV/Boat/Motorcycle/ATV/ Trailer/Snowmobile, etc.

Actual expenses as outlined within this Directive.

Crating

Actual expenses

Objects of Art

Actual expenses

Pet Shipment

Actual expenses

Additional Shipping Expenses

Actual expenses

Car Rental at Destination

Reasonable expenses per this Directive

11.4 Qualifying Rooms

Qualifying rooms include:

kitchen;

bedrooms (including bedrooms in finished basement);

living room;

recreation room;

family room;

dining room;

basement;

garage - not condos and apartments;

out-building/storage shed (limit of one);

a storage room (separate from apartment).

For the purposes of establishing the number of qualifying rooms, the appraisal reports will be used for homeowners. For renters, the employees shall provide the list of rooms.

Employees may be reimbursed for certain sundry incidental expenses incurred as a result of the relocation. This in addition to the expenses reimbursed under the non accountable allowance ($650). The following expenses will be reimbursed from Core funds subject to submission of claim with receipts:

connection/disconnection of public utility services, (e.g. telephone, electricity, water and cable);

payment of local licenses, such as automobile and driver's licenses, and safety certificate for automobile when one is mandatory by provincial legislation before license plates can be obtained (excluding cost of necessary repairs);

cost of altering locks at new residence - labour only;

charges for Post Office change of address.

11.6 Non-admissible Items

Non-admissible items are those not eligible to be shipped due to their hazardous nature or restricted as a result of the HGRS contract.

11.7 Storage in Transit

The employee shall be reimbursed the costs of the storage of household goods and effects when necessary at the new place of duty as follows:

Core Fund

Actual and reasonable expenses up to the last day for which IAM&MA is authorized

Customized/Personalized Funds

Actual and reasonable expenses that have been incurred beyond the period authorized from Core Fund, but which are not as a result of personal choices

11.8 Long Term Storage (Applicable to Isolated Postings only)

11.8.1 When an employee is relocated, and after consultation with the employee and in the opinion of the Departmental National Co-ordinator, the shipment of some or all of the household effects or private motor vehicles, or both, to the new place of duty is not practical the employer shall pay for:

Core Fund

Packing, crating and cartage of the employee's household effects to the nearest place where adequate long-term storage facilities are available.

Storage of the household effects until they can or might be repossessed by the employee or an authorized dependant of the employee.

Storage of up to two private motor vehicles or one automobile and a camper/trailer. The total storage cost shall not exceed the cost of storing two private motor vehicles, and

Payment of a one-time storage preservation fee for such services as removing the battery, raising the private motor vehicle (PMV) off the tires, applying lubricants as required, for commercial storage of a private motor vehicle.

11.8.2 When the employee is again relocated to a location where the effects could be used, the Departmental National Coordinator shall authorize HGRS to ship the effects from the place of storage to:

new place of duty; or

former residence from which the effects were placed in storage.

11.8.3 An employee whose employment terminates while the employee's effects are in storage:

shall be reimbursed storage costs up to seven days after the date of termination of employment; and up to 14 days in exceptional circumstances approved by the deputy head; and

may, if the employee chooses, within a month of the date of termination of employment, have the employer ship these effects to the original point from which they were shipped into storage, or any other location of the employee's choice, provided the cost is not greater than shipping them to the original point.

Employees transferred to Isolated Posts who move into accommodation where it is impossible to normally house their major appliances are entitled to Long Term Storage.

Employees who decide not to store their appliances may transfer to their Personalized Fund 80% of the storage costs of one set of appliances to a maximum of 24 months based on industry weight averages.

Industry averages have determined that the current cost of storing one complete set of appliances (dishwasher, dryer, freezer, refrigerator, stove/range, washer) for one year is $450. This quantum may be adjusted by the Relocation Counsellor based on actual contractual cost.

11.10 Partial Shipping/Storage

Storage of a portion of an employee's effects shall be authorized in exceptional circumstances or where assigned Crown owned accommodations will not accommodate all personal possessions. Entitlements are as follows:

Movement of HG&E must be done via HGRS contracted service providers under authorization from the departmental national co-ordinator. In those instances where storage is paid, there will be no transferable savings provided for weight reduction.

If the employee selects accommodation that will contain only a portion of the household effects, any storage arrangement for the remainder shall be the employee's responsibility.

11.11 Basic Insurance Coverage

Employees shall be provided insurance for the transportation of HGE as follows:

Core Fund

$100,000 on authorized household goods and effects

Customized/Personalized Funds

Amounts over the basic coverage of $100,000

Insurance for specific items

11.12 Crating

Employees may have household goods and effects that may require additional protection (i.e., china, art, and antiques). Any crating costs for such items shall be reimbursed from the Customized/Personalized Funds.

11.13 Shipment of Personal Motor Vehicle (PMV)

Employees shall be reimbursed actual and reasonable expenses related to shipping their PMV or driving to the new location as follows:

Shipment of PMV by Commercial Carrier

Core Fund

Cost to ship 1st vehicle

Customized/Personalized Funds

Cost to ship 2nd and additional vehicles

When the relocation distance exceeds 3,000 kilometres, departments may authorize the shipment of the family vehicles, and the travel of the family by commercial carrier.

The second vehicle may also be shipped in unusual circumstances (such as when distance, weather or family circumstances do not permit the driving of the second PMV). All cases must be personally approved by the departmental national co-ordinator.

When the PMV must be delivered by the employee to a point of shipment, the following expenses are reimbursable:

the NJC Travel Directive kilometric rate, to cover the expense of moving a PMV to and from the auto transfer agent's depot at each end of the move;

if required, one-way transportation by the most economical means for the employee to return from and travel to the auto transfer agent's depot at each end of the move;

the charges levied by the transfer agent to deliver the PMV to and receive it from the government's carrier; and

the charges for storing the PMV at the agent's depot for a total combined maximum period of ten days.

Rental car costs incurred (while the employee's car is being shipped) are not reimbursable except in highly unusual circumstances beyond the employee's control. Such expense is reimbursable from the Customized/Personalized funds. These circumstances are: (revised March 1, 2006)

family illness, which requires travel to hospitals and doctors;

when the employee or dependant is permanently disabled;

when there is no public transportation in the location;

when the employee's vehicle is being repaired due to damage while being shipped; or

when delivery of the employee's vehicle is delayed beyond contracted delivery date for reasons beyond the employee's control.

All cases must be personally approved by the Departmental National Co-ordinator.

11.14 Shipment of RV/Boat/Motorcycle/ ATV/Trailer/Snowmobile

The costs to ship recreational vehicles, such as boats, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, trailers, and snowmobiles shall be reimbursed from:

Customized/Personalized Funds

Reimbursement for actual and reasonable costs

11.15 Additional Shipping Expenses

Employees are responsible for any additional costs beyond those established in the HGRS contract. Employees wishing to ship items that fall outside the scope of the contract shall be reimbursed for actual expenses from the Customized/Personalized Component funds.

11.16 Transportation of Pets

Employees shall be reimbursed actual and reasonable expenses for transportation of their pets to the new location and any necessary kennel fees incurred while the employees are in interim accommodation.

Customized/Personalized Funds

Actual and reasonable costs

11.17 Time off for Packing of Personal Effects

An employee shall be provided up to three (3) days with pay to supervise the packing and loading of personal effects for shipment to the new location.